raid need help!

Question

I am trying to use the intel application that came with my dell to migrate to a raid array. I believe I am following all the directions right but still no joy.
Here's the deal:

I have 2 wd sata 120gb hard drives on sata0 and sata1.
They are shown by bios no problem.

I have windows xp pro installed on sata0 and it works properly.

When I set the bios to raid on like the directions say, I can't boot the os to get to the raid utility.
I get the error "nt boot loader missing"

Now if I try to set up the raid first in the bios, I can set up the array, then when I try to install, I hit f6 to install the iastor driver, but the raid array never shows up as an option to install to. When I hit f3 to exit I get a bsod.

Anyone know what's up?

Thanks

TomXPS · Answer

Did you re-load your OS. Normally the driver you need for RAID support is pre-loaded. Normally the Pre-OS RAID driver can only be loaded at OS install time. To add it now you would have to re-load the OS. Pressing the F6 shortly after booting off the CD, once it prompts for the diskette you insert the diskette you created earlier by executing the Pre-OS RAID driver.

There may be a way to load the driver another way but not normally done that way. Look at this post for some ideal on creating the appropiate install files to install the driver though one of the XP system area. http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_other&message.id=200283&view=by_date_ascending&page=4

cityslicker · Answer

I read that thread and have tried a slipstreamed install, no good. I get the same problem: setup can't see my raid volume.

This is what happens:
I want to do fresh install of xp pro (retail version, not from dell)

I change setup to raid on, then create the raid volumes.

That done, I restart and start the xp pro install.
I hit the f6 key to install the driver.

The dell driver gives me the choice of installing the sata driver or the raid driver.

I have tried this both ways with the same result:
The setup process can not see my raid volume.

Now, if I try to install as non raid on a single volume and load the driver at the f6 prompt, the setup can see my sata drives fine.

I am not sure why the driver does not allow it to see the raid volume.

Are there some bios settings I am not aware of or something?

According to documentation, I should be able to migrate to a raid volume using intel's utility. However, If i turn raid on according to the directions, I can't boot with the error message ntloader missing.

TomXPS · Answer

Not sure what to tell you. Do you have a floppy. If so I would try to install using the Driver off the Diskette you can create by executing the Pre-OS RaId driver. I understand a USB floopy may work. On my system XPS gen2 I always had the SATA RAID onption to yes, and install the OS by using the Pre-OS RAID Driver and then migrate my sytem to RAID 1. Done it once with no problem. Usually re-load my System once a year.

I understand for a while the driver that came with the system was incorrect so you may want to download the most current version from Dell.

cityslicker · Answer

Ok, now you're gonna like this.

I was going through driver updates to see what was up and then started looking at bios updates.

Now this may be unrelated but I have never been able to properly boot from a usb device like the bios says it supports.

There is a brand new bios update that said something about resolving a problem with usb due to media cards or some such thing.

I figured, ehh what the heck it's still under warranty so I flashed the mobo.

Turned raid on, booted to windows and the actions menu under the intel app accelerator is now visible.

Here is the awful part. Just before the reboot I also updated the driver so I do not know which change fixed the problem!!!!!

I had the latest driver installed but figured I would try a re-install of the driver to see if it would fix anything.

So now it works but don't know why (although I am pretty sure it is the bios, as it has never worked properly)

cityslicker · Answer

The current os on sata0 (winxp pro) was installed with the drivers from the floppy and was fine.
So I followed the directions that came with my machine to try the migration.

The directions says to turn raid on in bios then boot into winxp then use the intel application to migrate.

If I have raid on, it won't boot, ntloader missing
If I have it set to raid autodetect/ata, it tries to boot and gets to splash screen but then reboots on its own.

There is only one option left, the combination mode.
I haven't tried that yet but doesn't look promising.

TomXPS · Answer

Yea a good catch on the BIOS.   I did the same on my XPS never had any issue but updated my BIOS twice while under waranty.   Now that I am out of warranty, I never take the chance.   But no updates have been issued anyway.

cityslicker · Answer

News on this problem: all was not well.

I was able to use the migrate option, but when it ran, the system would boot but lost lots of programs etc.

A partition utility also showed I had the hard drives split into partitions.

Originally they were, but I assumed when you went to raid1 it used the whole of each drive and got rid of anything existing.

I tried to use the setup disc to boot into the migrated raid os recovery console and guess what? Same as original problem, no can see raid array.

This is what I did: deleted raid array, deleted all partitions on both drives, used partition magic to secure erase them, then set them back up as a raid1 and reloaded.

NOw on the first boot to setup disc everything was shown fine. Installed the system and then tried to boot into the recovery console to see if it would work. It worked. Then tried to run repair to see if it would see installation. It did.

I think by this experience I would advise not to use the migration option at all and just grit teeth and do it the hard way, as that is what worked right.

(no worries as I have everything backed up)

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raid need help!

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